Lamp



Patented Jan. 4, 1949 LAMP Kornel Berger, Kew Gardens, N. Y. ApplicationOctober 2, 1946, Serial No. 700,713

This invention relates to lamps. More particularly, the inventionpertains to the attachment of lamp shades to lamps.

At the present time the construction of conventional lamp shades is suchthat the finial must be taken off before the lamp shade can be detached.Once it is off the finial may, and often is, dropped or lost. Droppingof the finial may break it or mar a piece of furniture; and breaking orlosing the finial will materially decrease the value of the lamp.

Accordingly it is a primary object of the present invention to provide alamp shade construction such that the shade can be removed withoutdetaching the finial.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a lamp shade ofthe character described which can be employed without modifyingconventional lamp construction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a removablelamp shade such as described which comprises no more pieces than aconventional lamp shade and can be made for approximately the same pricewithout a radical departure from the present-day tools and dies.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will beexemplified in the constructions hereinafter described, and of which thescope of application will be indicated in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown several variouspossible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a lamp, the shade whereof isconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the lamp;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, but drawn to alarger scale so as to better illustrate the connection between the lampharp and the frame of the lamp shade, the finial being partiallyloosened;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the attaching portion of thelamp shade frame as it appears when removed from the lamp, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a modified form of attachingportion.

In conventional lamps the connection between the lamp shade and the lampis effected by providing the lamp shade with an annular member,

1 Claim. (01. 240-148) e. g. a washer, which is slipped over a postforming part of the lamp, said member being clamped against an elementat the base of the post by a' finial threadedly mounted on the post. Theshade also includes spider arms or any other suitable supporting meansextending outwardly from the annular member to the shade frame. Withsuch an arrangement, it is, of course, neces sary to completely detachthe finial when the lamp shade is to be removed, in orderto allow theannular member to be slipped off the end of the post.

Pursuant to the present invention, this removal of the finial is avoidedby providing an opening or slot running from the inside to the outsideof the annularmember. Then, if it is desired to remove the lampshade, itis only necessary to partially unthread the finial in order to loosenthe pressure of the finial on the annular member, whereupon the annularmember can be slid laterally off the post, said post passing through theslot.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs.1-5, 10 denotes a lamp in which the present invention is incorporated.Said lamp constitutes a suitable ornamental base 12 carrying a standardlight socket l4 and a lamp harp l6. The lamp harp includes the usualwire bail l8 at whose top is mounted a suitable means for detachablyholding the frame of a lamp shade. Said means may be entirelyconventional, as the present invention is intended to be used with lampsof standard construction.

In essence, said means constitutes a post attached at one end to thebail l8 and at the other end to a member such as the finialZO. One ofthese attachments, as for instance the attachment to the bail, may be ofa permanent nature, but at least one of the attachments, as for instancethat to the finial, is extensible longitudinally of the post. The meansshown herein for detachably holding the shade frame is of the type knownin the art as a swivel fixture, the same comprising a base plate 22 withtwo pairs of dependent integral jaws 24 encircling and frictionallygripping the straight top section 26 of the bail. Said plate supports'athreaded post 28 which extends outwardly away fromthe bail and isadapted to have the finial 20 screwed thereon.

The lamp is equipped with a lamp shade 30 connected to the lamp harp inaccordance with the instant invention. Said frame includes a decorativecover 32 which is carried by a suitable frame 33 constructed, forexample, from wire. The frame is supported from a set of slender spiderarms 34 extending outwardly from an annular hub such as a flat thickstiff washer 36. Said hub has a radial slot 38 sufficiently large topermit the threaded post 28 to be slipped freely therethrough in asidewise direction.

Means is provided to secure the arms 34 to the washer 36. Thus said armsmay be welded to the washer or, as illustrated, said washer may beprovided with radial openings 46 into which the arms are set, the washer36 then being depressed at the points 42 to firmly lock the arms inplace.

To put the lamp shade on the fixture, the finial 20 is unscrewed farenough to permit the washer 36 to be interposed between the bottom ofsaid finial and the base plate 22. The frame then is placed over thelamp with the washer 36 near the swivel fixture and just above the levelof the base plate and with the slot 38 lined up with the .post 28. Thenthe washer is moved laterally to introduce the post into the slot 38,the movement being sufficient to position the post in the centralaperture 44 of the washer. Finally the finial is tightened to firmlyclamp the washer between said finial and the base plate. The lamp shadeis removed by practicing the aforesaid steps in reverse order, it beingnoted that the finial need not be completely removed when it is desiredto remove or put on a lamp shade.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the construction of thelamp need not be modified in any respect whatsoever insofar as the postand finial are concerned and thatthe requisite changes in theconstruction of the lamp shade can be easily accomplished, so that if itis desired to employ the present invention all that need be changed isthe washer in the lamp shade. Therefore, this invention can beincorporated in present day lamps simply by employing the new type ofwasher in the lamp shades which are .to serve as replacement or as newshades.

'It will be appreciated that any changes might be made in the connectionbetween the shade and lamp without departing from the scope of theinvention. Thus, although the washer .36 is .solid, having beenfashioned by machining, die casting or forging, said washer couldequally well be made from sheet metal. Such modified construction isshown in Fig. .6 wherein the washer 36' consists .of a segmentallycircular centrally apertured sheet metal disc .having a radial opening48 large enough to :pass the .post 28.. Flanges 50, 52 depend from theinner and outer peripheries of the disc'to give the washer sulficientdepth. The outer flange 51) includes extensions 54 of 'U-shapedtransverse section, the

base whereof is uppermost. These extensions are adapted to receive thespider arms 34 and to be clinched thereto.

It will thus be seen that there are provided devices which achieve theseveral objects of this invention and are well adapted to meet theconditions of practical use. i

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth,itis to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

In combination in a lamp, an upwardly facing light socket adapted tosupport an electric light bulb with the axis of symmetry thereofvertically arranged, a lamp harp extending vertically from below saidsocket to a point substantially above said socket, athreaded post, meansto secure said post to the top of said lamp harp, a washer havingacentral aperture with a radial slot extending from said aperture to theouter circumference of the washer, said slotbeing wider than thediameter of the post and said post being higher than the washer, afinial screwed on said post and adapted to be turned down tofrictionally engage said washer, said washer being detachable from saidpost by slightly backing off the finial without removing the samethereby to permit the slotted portion of the washer to he slid past thepost, a lamp shade including a frame having a decorative cover, saidframe comprising a set of spider arms extending outwardly from saidwasher whereby the shade is secured to the post by "and is removablefrom the post with said washer.

- KORNEL BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,533,639 Ziska May 4, 19.261,776,101 Brady Sept. 16, 1930 1,7 96,464 Kevork-ian Mar. 17,19312,164,901 Chilo July 4, 1939 FOREIGN PA'I'EN'IS Number Country Date8,219 Great Britain 1915 404,148 Great Britain 1934

